Introduction to Initiative and Intentness

Initiative and intentness are key components of John Wooden's Pyramid of Success. Initiative refers to the ability to take action and make decisions independently, while intentness is the commitment to seeing a task through to completion. These qualities are essential for achieving long-term goals and success.

Examples:

• Example 1: A student takes the initiative to start a study group for an upcoming exam.
• Example 2: A basketball player shows intentness by practicing free throws every day after school.
• Example 3: A team leader takes the initiative to delegate tasks effectively during a group project.
• Example 4: An entrepreneur demonstrates intentness by working late nights to launch a new business venture.
• Example 5: A musician takes the initiative to learn a new instrument without being told to do so.

Challenging Examples:

• Example 6: A CEO shows intentness by leading a company through a major crisis with determination and focus.
• Example 7: A social activist takes the initiative to organize a large-scale protest for an important cause.

Real-World Problems:

1. Problem 1: How would you demonstrate initiative in a group project at school?
2. Problem 2: Describe a situation where intentness would be crucial for achieving a personal goal.

Answers:

1. Answers may vary but could include taking on a leadership role, setting deadlines, or coming up with innovative ideas.
2. Answers may vary but could include practicing consistently, overcoming obstacles, or seeking feedback to improve.

1. Problem: You are starting a new project at work, and your team seems hesitant to take initiative. How can you encourage them to step up and show initiative?
   Answer: You can hold a team meeting to discuss the importance of initiative, set clear goals and expectations, and provide opportunities for team members to take on leadership roles.
2. Problem: You are a student with a part-time job and find it challenging to balance your work responsibilities with your academic commitments. How can you demonstrate intentness in managing your time effectively?
   Answer: You can create a detailed schedule that allocates specific time for work, study, and personal activities, prioritize tasks based on deadlines and importance, and regularly review and adjust your schedule as needed.
3. Problem: You have a goal of running a marathon, but you struggle to stay motivated during your training. How can you maintain intentness in pursuing your goal?
   Answer: You can join a running group for accountability and support, set smaller milestones to track progress, visualize yourself crossing the finish line, and remind yourself of the reasons why you set this goal in the first place.
4. Problem: Your team is facing a challenging project that requires innovative solutions. How can you encourage them to think creatively and take initiative in problem-solving?
   Answer: You can organize brainstorming sessions to generate new ideas, encourage open communication and collaboration among team members, provide resources and support for experimentation, and recognize and reward innovative thinking.
5. Problem: You are managing a retail store and notice that sales have been declining. How can you demonstrate intentness in analyzing the problem and implementing solutions?
   Answer: You can conduct much better analyze your sales data to identify trends and patterns, conduct customer surveys and feedback to understand their needs and preferences, experiment with different marketing strategies, and monitor the results to evaluate the effectiveness of your interventions.
6. Problem: You are a coach of a youth sports team and want to instill the value of initiative and intentness in your players. How can you design practice sessions to promote these qualities?
   Answer: You can create drills that require players to make quick decisions and take responsibility for their actions, provide constructive feedback to encourage self-improvement, set challenging but achievable goals to motivate players, and lead by example by demonstrating a strong work ethic and commitment to excellence.
7. Problem: You are a volunteer at a local charity organization and have limited resources to carry out your projects. How can you demonstrate initiative in finding creative solutions to overcome obstacles?
   Answer: You can seek partnerships with other organizations to pool resources and expertise, organize fundraising events to generate additional funds, recruit and train volunteers to expand your team's capacity, and leverage social media and other communication channels to raise awareness about your cause and attract support.
8. Problem: You are a student leader in a school club and want to increase member engagement and participation in club activities. How can you demonstrate intentness in planning and executing events that appeal to a diverse audience?
   Answer: You can conduct surveys to gather feedback and ideas from club members, delegate tasks to distribute workload and encourage teamwork, promote events through various channels to reach a wider audience, and evaluate the success of each event to learn from mistakes and improve future activities.
9. Problem: You are a small business owner facing tough competition in the market. How can you demonstrate initiative and intentness in adapting your business strategy to stay ahead of the competition?
   Answer: You can conduct a competitor analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses, conduct market research to understand customer needs and preferences, innovate your products or services to differentiate from competitors, and continuously monitor market trends and adjust your strategy accordingly to maintain a competitive edge.

1. Start by defining initiative and intentness for the students. Explain that initiative means taking action and showing determination, while intentness is the quality of being focused and persistent in achieving a goal.
2. Provide examples of initiative and intentness in real-life situations to help students understand the concepts better. This could include stories of successful individuals who demonstrated these qualities in their pursuits.
3. Engage students in a discussion about the benefits of developing initiative and intentness. Encourage them to share their own experiences where these qualities have helped them succeed or overcome challenges.
4. Introduce John Wooden's Pyramid of Success to the students and explain how initiative and intentness are essential building blocks in achieving success according to his philosophy.
5. Assign a task or activity that requires students to demonstrate initiative and intentness. This could be a group project, a problem-solving exercise, or a goal-setting activity that challenges them to apply these qualities in practice.
6. Provide feedback and reinforcement throughout the task to help students reflect on their progress and identify areas for improvement in terms of initiative and intentness.
7. Conclude the lesson by summarizing the key points about initiative and intentness, and encourage students to continue developing these qualities in their academic and personal pursuits.

• Game 1: Pyramid Building Challenge

  Step by Step Instructions:

  1. Divide the students into teams of 4-5 members each.
  2. Provide each team with a set of building blocks or cups.
  3. Explain that the goal is to build the tallest pyramid within a given time limit.
  4. Teams must work together to strategize and build their pyramid using the blocks or cups.
  5. Encourage communication, teamwork, and quick decision-making to complete the challenge successfully.
  6. After the time is up, measure and compare the height of each team's pyramid to determine the winner.
• Game 2: Success Traits Scavenger Hunt

  Step by Step Instructions:

  1. Create a list of success traits related to initiative and intentness from John Wooden's Pyramid of Success.
  2. Hide cards with each trait written on them around the classroom or outdoor area.
  3. Divide the students into small groups and provide them with the list of traits.
  4. Explain that they need to find and match each trait card they discover with the corresponding trait on their list.
  5. Encourage students to discuss how each trait relates to initiative and intentness as they search for the cards.
  6. The first group to correctly match all the traits wins the scavenger hunt.
• Game 3: Decision-Making Relay Race

  Step by Step Instructions:

  1. Set up a relay race course with cones or markers at various points.
  2. Divide the students into teams and assign each team a starting point at one end of the course.
  3. Provide each team with a series of decision-making scenarios related to initiative and intentness.
  4. Explain that one member from each team must run to the first marker, make a decision based on the scenario, and then run back to tag the next team member.
  5. Continue this relay race format until all team members have participated in making decisions.
  6. The team that completes the race with the most successful decisions wins the game.